Quick guide to fluid sample collection in pigs
Swine oral fluid sample collection
- Hang cotton rope in an accessible location shoulder high to the pigs. Coated or nylon ropes should not be used since they are non-absorbent. Do not hang ropes in extremely unclean areas of a pen or in close proximity to water or feed to minimize contamination.
- After ropes have been saturated, usually 20-30 minutes, extract oral fluids by squeezing rope into a 1 gal plastic bag.
- Cut a corner of the bag, or use a corner of the open top, and drain the contents into a 50 mL Falcon tube or equivalent. At least a 4 ml sample is needed for testing. Alternative method is to use a disposable pipette to extract the fluid and then dispense into a 6 mL Falcon Double Snap, snap cap tube.
- Label tubes as appropriate with permanent ink and place in a Ziploc plastic bag or brown tube box.
Oral fluid sample handling and submission
- Freeze samples promptly to optimize quality.
- Complete a submission form with all pertinent sample and testing information.
- Prepare and handle oral fluid samples for shipment in the same fashion as serum, i.e., ship samples with ice packs and absorbent material in an insulated shipping container.